Car Wash Kits

Are you planning a fundraising car wash?

Did you know that vehicle washing can contribute pollutants to our rivers and streams depending on where your vehicle is cleaned?

Dirty water from commercial car washes goes into the city’s sanitary system and is treated at the regional wastewater treatment plant.  However, soap suds and water run-off from vehicle washing on driveways, parking lots and streets typically flows along the gutter and into a storm drain before it empties into a creek or river.

Problem pollutants

Soap is only one part of the discharge problem.  Even if only water is used, there’s a mix of pollutants including oils, grease, heavy metals, particulates from vehicle exhaust emissions and brake linings and rust being washed down the drain. Adding soap to the mix may introduce phenols, dyes, acids and ammonia.  And even more potentially harmful ingredients are found in spray-off tire cleaner.

The detergents in car wash cleaners affect fish in several ways. All detergents contain a surfactant so that the cleaner rinses off easily with water. Surfactants destroy the external mucus layers that protect fish from bacteria and parasites, causing severe damage to their gills. Even in low concentrations, surfactants will kill fish eggs. Detergents can lower the surface tension of water, allowing organic chemicals, such as pesticides and phenols to be more easily absorbed by fish.     Soaps that contain phosphates promote plant growth and can cause excess algae growth in waterways. As these plants decay, large amounts of oxygen are consumed, leaving very little oxygen available for fish.